History at Corpus Christi

“How do you know who you are unless you know where you’ve come from?  How can you tell what’s going to happen, unless you know what’s happened before? History isn’t just about the past. It’s about why we are – and about what’s next,” Tony Robinson, Actor and TV Time Team Presenter.

History gives us a sense of identity, set within our social, political, cultural and economic relationships. The study of History fires children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the world and also plays an essential part in preparing us for living and working in the world today. While history is about real people who lived in the past, its fundamental concern is the understanding of human conditions, set in the context of time. Corpus Christi subscribes to ‘key stage history’, which provides schemes of work, activity resources, interactive activities as well as assessments, which help teachers to plan and to implement the primary programme of study.

At Corpus Christi, we deliver a History curriculum which is accessible to all pupils to inspire them to act as historians. As a result of this they will:

• Develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people.
• Develop an interest in the past which will arouse their curiosity and the motivation to learn more.
• Be equipped to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgment.
• Develop a sense of their own identity through learning about the past and gain an understanding of historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequences, similarity and difference
• Develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality by using the resources within the immediate and wider local area.

The History Curriculum at Corpus Christi Primary School aims to deliver high standards of teaching and learning, allowing each child to build on their knowledge and skills as they move up through the school. The History Curriculum is designed so that the children develop an understanding of the history of these islands from earliest times to present day.  It includes placing the history period being studied in the chronological context of previous learning.

Planning at Corpus Christi is designed to match the skills and knowledge outlined in the National Curriculum. We aim to develop deep subject knowledge and key skills in enquiry for children to enjoy learning about history and develop a wish to continue to build on this foundation later in life.

Our History curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in nursery and reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of this key stage. The children focus on observing changes and patterns in the world around them. They find out about the people and events that have significance in their lives. They also explore the passage of time through family stories and photos.

In KS1, the children build upon the knowledge gained in The Early Years Foundation Stage. History is taught as a discrete subject. The children listen and respond to stories from the past and use source material to help them to ask and answer questions. The children explore how the local area has changed. At this key stage the children start to focus on events and people beyond living memory. In doing so, they begin to use timelines to order events thereby developing their understanding of chronology. The children build on previous skills by comparing the lives of significant people from the past such as Emilia Earhart. They start to acquire the historical concepts of cause and consequence by studying the Great Fire of London.

In KS2, History is taught as a discrete subject. The curriculum is set out in chronological order to allow children to reference previous events in time and to refer to this prior learning year-on year. It is intended that the children will gain a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day so that they can draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this, are studies of the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Shang Dynasty and a non-European civilisation which provide the children with the opportunity to acquire an understanding of history in the wider world. The children use a range of sources as they study different periods in history and record their knowledge in a variety of ways. They develop their skills of historical interpretation and ask historically valid questions and construct informed responses using and interpreting relevant sources. They gain an understanding of why there may be different accounts of history.

Our aim at Corpus Christi is that the History curriculum will equip each child with the historical skills and knowledge that will prepare them for Key Stage 3. Where possible we use artefacts for children to explore and investigate. We believe that handling real objects enhances the children’s historical knowledge, understanding and skills. Opportunities for learning outside the classroom are embedded in our practice with the local area utilised to support the development of each child’s knowledge and understanding.

By the end of their primary education at Corpus Christi, the children will have developed a keen interest in the subject of History and will be curious to learn more about the past. Through this study, they will become increasingly critical and analytical within their thinking. They will make informed and balanced judgements based on their knowledge of the past using a range of sources. The children will become increasingly aware of how historical events have shaped the world that they currently live in. They will be able to talk confidently about what they have learnt using subject specific vocabulary. The skills the children acquire will develop progressively as they move through the school. The assessment and monitoring of this subject will show standards in History are high.